presentation" tonight here on cnn. back at the top of the hour with all the day's news, and we'll see you then. welcome to "sgmd." on tap today, a potentially groundbreaking new test to diagnose alzheimer's a full ten years before you develop symptoms, plus five foods you might think are healthy but you should actually never eat. first, leading up to my marijuana documentary, i wrote this op-ed called why i changed my mind on weed. i took the position that this is a plant and it could have real medical potential, and certainly is deserving of further study. part of the reason i came around to this is because i met patient after patient whose lives are truly being changed by using this plant as medicine. one little girl in particular stuck with me. she is named charlotte. it was january, 2012. afghanistan. about 7,000 miles away from his family in colorado, matt received this video from his

wife paige. >> it's horrible seeing these videos when i'm deployed. >> reporter: it was his 5-year-old daughter charlotte seizing. she was having 300 seizures a week. each attack so severe it had the potential to kill her. they had already tried dozens of high-powered drugs. >> we needed to try something else, and at that point in time, marijuana was that natural course of action to try. >> reporter: at home in colorado, paige searched for marijuana high in cbd. that's the ingredient some scientists think helps seizures and also low in thc. remember, she didn't want to get her daughter stoned. she found a small amount at a denver dispensary. the owner was surprised anyone would even want t. they said, funny, no one buys this. that was the general consensus nap nobody wanted it. it didn't have any effect. >> reporter: paige paid $800 for a small bag and took it home.

>> i had a friend starting a business making medicine, and i said, can you help me extract the medicine from this bag of marijuana. i measured it with a syringe and squirted it under her tongue. it was exciting and very nerve-racking. >> reporter: holding charlotte in her arnlpaige waited. an hour ticked by. then another, and then another. >> she didn't have a sieger that day, and then she didn't have a sieger that night. >> just watch and -- >> i thought, this is crazy. and then she didn't have one the next day, and then the next day, and i thought, that is -- she would have had 100 by now. and i just -- i know. i just thought, this is insane. >> i remember how happy paige was. like, it's really working. i can't believe it. yeah. that was pretty amazing to hear. >> reporter: it had worked, but in just a couple of weeks, the excitement was overshadowed by

panic. paige was running out of marijuana and the dispensary didn't have any more of that particular strain. even if there was more, the monthly price tag would have been astronomical. $2,000, and not a penny of it covered by insurance. then paige heard about the stanleys. the six brothers and their green house of marijuana that is high in cbd. >> i said, oh my goodness. he said, i don't know what to do with it. we're trying new things with it but no one wants it. it's not saleable. i said, just -- don't touch that, because we need that plant. >> reporter: at first, they didn't want to take the risk of giving marijuana to such a young child. but then they met her. tell me about the first time you met matt, paige and charlotte. >> hmm. >> reporter: i'm going to get you misty eyed. >> yeah, get all of us crying when we start talking than little girl. >> reporter: they it hit the jackpot. a steady supply of high cbd

marijuana and they only had to pay what they do afford. >> people have called us the robin hoods's marijuana and say that we sell pot so that we can take care of the kids. and the truly less fortunate. >> reporter: charlotte was the first of those kids. late spring, 2012, she tried the stanley special marijuana, and again it worked. >> i can't tell what you that means to us. it gets you a little bit. if it doesn't get you, something's wrong with you. she left her life in a cat tonic state. now her parents get to meet her for the first time. what a revelation. >> reporter: the child who had had 300 seizures a week was now down just one. one every seven days. [ laughter ] >> we fished filming around the start of summer and just spent time with the family off camera. i'm happy to report charlotte

continues to do very well. the medicine is still keeping her seizures under control. just ahead, a new test throughout that can give people a head start on fighting alzheimer's disease. plus, they can do now to help keep your brain in tip-top shape. that's next. ced. i don't always have time to eat like i should. that's why i like glucerna shakes. they have slowly digestible carbs to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna. helping people with diabetes find balance. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function

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alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the united states. also the only one that has no effective treatment. by the time the symptoms arrive it's too late because the disease has been developing for years. the question becomes what if you could catch it earlier even with a sample exam in a doctor's office? it years ago rosea took a wrong turn when pulling out of a shopping center pock parking lot. >> well, a little scary bu i didn't remember where i came from or where i was supposed to be going. >> reporter: after that initial moment of panic, things got worse. rosatrouble getting dressed. >> i don't remember anything.

>> reporter: remembering her favorite recipes. she started repeating herself. >> and i see every now and again she'll be walking on her way to do something, and then suddenly stop, because she can't remember where she was going wloor it was that she was doing. >> reporter: rosa is taking medication to try and blunt these zim symptoms and also signed up for a clinical trial that could help unlock some mistress of the aging brain. >> you're welcome. have a seat right here. >> have a seat right there, mom. >> currently we're diagnosing alzheimer's with a memory test. by the time you get memory loss, you've already lost 50% of your brain cells. it's difficult for any medication to be effective at that point. >> reporter: what if you could spot the disease 5, 10, even 20 years before you become symptomat symptomatic?

the doctor says he may have found a way using an eye into the brain. >> normally we do not think of an eye an engs r extension of the brain. the back of the eye, the retina, actually developing from the brain itself. so it's brain tissue. >> reporter: a buildup inside the brain can start to develop years before the first symptoms and in fact those same placques develop in eye tissue as well. >> the beauty, a non-invasive repeatable high resolution test to be able to see these protein changes that are the hallmark of alzheimer's disease very early. >> reporter: and joining me now from los angeles is dr. gary small. good night we call on the topic. the author of the alzheimer's consequence program "keep your brain healthy for the rest of your life." welcome back to the program, doctor. >> thank you, dr. gupta. >> you may know at least three

companies are developing eye tests looking for signs of impairme impairment. one based and some of the doctor's work. last year approving a type of brain scan to help with early detection. the next question people ask and i ask, is there value in finding it early? anything you can do tab? tab? >> i think there's value in trying to find it earlier, and trying to develop technologies to detect it earlier, but i would agree with you. unless that early detection tool is linked to a specific treatment, there may not be that much value. we need sort of a cholesterol test for the brain. if you have high cholesterol, check from your blood, your doctor gives you a statin droug lower your cholesterol and future risk of a stroke or heart attack, and we did the same kind of test and treatment link that we have with that. >> yeah. and i mean, hopefully that's going to come, because i think that's what people are really clamoring for. let me ask you, and this is a question again, that you're uniquely qualified to answer. if you suspect problems in a

loved one, for example. how do you know at this time whether it's alzheimer's or something else? >> generally, it's a standard medical examination. there are blood tests to look for thyroid disease, other medical illnesses, that could cause a cognitive impairment. a brain scan will check for tumors or strokes. so it's a bit of a diagnosis of exclusion. now, a lot of places are beginning to do these amyloid pet scan, but eastern there you can have a false positive rate, people with normal cognition whose have a positive scan. >> for people who are watching now who, you know, think, look, i'm worried about this, but it's not me right now. what is your best advice base and all the things you've researched for keeping the brain health ji do you have a dr. small top list? >> well, i do. i mean, first of all, if you're concerned about it, do see the doctor. a lot of times there are treatable illnesses. even if it is alzheimer's, there

are simplematic approaches. beyond that we know that lifestyle is very important. genetics is only part of the story. and there's compelling evidence that regular physical exercise, a good diet. lowering stress levels and learning ways to compensate for age-related memory decline can have a big impact on people's lives. >> you know, and you mentioned this a little. i always tell people based andship recent data that exercising and maintaining good heart health is crucial to brain health as well. in fact, if you can find 30 minutes to work out, that might be better for your brain than doing 30 minutes of brain exercise. would you agree with that? >> i would agree with that. in fact, a study, one study found that 30 minutes of brisk walking each day lowers an individual's risk for alzheimer's disease. and when you're getting your heart to pump oxygen and nutrients to your brain cells you're protecting those brain cells. we know that physical exercise and the diet will reduce the

risk for diabetes, and if you develop diabetes that doubles the probability you'll develop alzheimer's. >> dr. gary small. always enjoy having you on the program. you always teach us something. appreciate it. >> thank you very much. my pleasure. earlier this year i traveled to a small village in the netherlands for a rare look inside that village where every resident has severe dementia. one of the most humane things i've ever seen. watch the entire documentary on my life stream and cnn.com/sanjay. still ahead on "sgmd," five foods you should never eat including some you would never guess. first, the human effect. >> reporter: as long as these twins can remember, they had allergies. the official diagnosis came when they were 3. >> we grew up allergic to egg products, all shellfish, all peanuts, tree nuts and most antibiotics. >> and seasonal allergies as well. >> no pets growing up.

allergic to both dogs and cats. >> reporter: and topping it out of, chronic asthma. school was a challenge. >> we were those guy whose had to be placed at a special table to lunch to try to ensure there was no potential for contamination. >> you have an allergy, a stigma. we were the weird kids at the cafeteria table. >> reporter: a severe life-threatening allergic reaction, the twins had to have epi-pens al all times. it injects a dose of epinephrine to stop a drop in blood pressure in serious bleeding problems. they thought they were bulky and often didn't carry them. both have had three really close calls. so when they left high school they decided to invent a smaller more portable device. >> this was about us trying to take our experience and then develop another option for these millions who are at risk. >> reporter: they tailored

college classes around the new invention they were designing. evan took engineering, eric took the pre-med route. after college they started their company and last year the fda approved an epinephrine auto injector about the size of a credit card and the first to talk you through an injection. >> to inject, place black end against oirt thigh. >> reporter: now as parents themselves of children with severe allergy, their message to others is simple. >> don't give up hope and know that you know, more treatments are coming available. more research. awareness is growing. people understand this more than ever. the "human factor" is brought to you by -- the one and only cheerios. and by -- ishs chancer treatment centers of america. care that never quits. go to cnn.com/hume. factor for more stories of people who have overcome life's toughest obstacles.

is that true? says here that cheerios has whole grain oats that can help remove some cholesterol, and that's heart healthy. ♪ [ dad ] jan?

i'm, like, totally not down with change. but i had to change to bounce dryer bars. one bar freshens more loads than these two bottles. i am so gonna tell everyone. [ male announcer ] how do you get your bounce? [ woman ] time for change!

the truth is most of us probably avoid certain foods because we simply don't like the way they taste. even if we're told they're healthy, they contain ingredients potentially hazardous to your health. it's interesting. compiling a list of foods they say we should never eat. david jack has insight on this, a nutrition expert and contributing editor to "men's health" magazine.

thanks for being here. >> a pleasure. >> this is going to open up a lot of evidence. nutrition is an important part of health, but then we have to dig deeper sometimes, as you've done here. we've got some of these foods laid out. maybe just sort of talk through this. >> sure. >> the strawberries. >> right here. >> healthy food? >> strawberries, environmental working group comes up with a clean 157 and derd dirty dozen. fruits and vegetables how they're grown and treated with pesticides pap fruit like a saw it bare when they spray strawberries with pesticides they're in gear that protects them while spraying the strawberries with the pesticides. is that good for our body? so they've studied there's over 13 pesticides in the common strawberry. so we think we're eating healthy, but really we have to choose in this case organic to get away from the pesticides, which are so detrimental to our health, and ultimately get back to good food as it was designed. >> you don't need to buy everything organic? >> correct.

>> then this dirty dozen, if you're peeling the fruit. >> yes. >> you're getting rid of it. strawberries, you don't have that luxly. >> this year we're finding kale on that list. never was. in popular demand. some getting the overspray because it's gloen crops near other things. it's really getting interesting. >> fascinating. white kmok chocolate. not on the healthy list but more than meets the eye? >> chocolate in its rare form, ka cow, that bean, healthy and high antioxidants and the helps our body be well. there's obviously things that help brain function in chocolate. what happens with other foods is the beauty of that food gets stripped down and stripped away and processed. what we end up with with this kind of healthy snack we want to give ourselves just to feel good, and we think we're doing good for ourselves. takes out all the nutrition. we really want to stay closer to the dark chocolate at organic cacao keeping all of those key

nutrients inside of it. you get the healthy snack and ben frefit from t. the cacao bu right? >> yes. >> not really chocolate per se? >> correct. it's the butter. that actual-- >> marketing genius we'll call it white chocolate. >> further away from the truth as you get down to it. >> and then you realize. >> yes. >> sprouts, again, something that a lot of doctors recommend? >> yes. healthy. here's the problem. sprouts, the seed generally needs moist, warm environments to grow. which is a breeding ground for bacteria. >> all sorts of different organisms. recalls. >> exactly. they found sprouts are usually the cull pretty at the sent of these massive food recall and getting people sick. doing sprouts, heat them to kill some of the bacteria or get crunch with the sprouts. take your carrots, take your cabbages and you shred them and use those instead. trying to get that texture. >> sure. get the texture. stay away from the bacteria. >> canned tomatoes.

is it the can or the tomatoes? >> the can. a resin that brings synthetic estrogens that messes with hormones. hormone regulation is the issue all of people are facing being unwell and unhealthy weight gain. guest away from the can and move to things like glass that don't have those resins in there or even like a tete tra pack like trader joe's has tomatoes in a te tetra back getting us away from the dangers in the can. and someone i know well weighed in on this. >> swordfish high in mercury. the other thing, it's not sustainably fished a lot. they'll use methods that damage other sea life. a double whammy with it. high mercury, which there's tons of issues with that. it's a toxin. also having insustainable fishing practices. you want to move to things like,

you know, wild alas cann salmon. move to things like even pacific tuna, closer. snake headfish now tastes a lot like swordfish but nor sustainably fished. line caught, trolled for, mercury down, better for the environment and your body. >> have you had head snake fish? >> i haven't. >> got to get over the name a little but willing to give it a shot. >> change that name. appreciate it. >> thank you so much. >> pleasure being here. >> pleasure. check's your top stories minutes away. still ahead on "sgmd," chasing life. stay with us. [ male announcer ] if you think all toothbrushes are the same,

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getting a full restful night's sleep can be a real challenge sometimes. in fact, last year doctors wrote nearly 60 million prescriptions to help us get some shut eye. but as you may know, those pills that can sometimes take a while to wear off. a particular concern is getting behind the wheel. in january the government told the makers of ambien and other sleep drugs to low are the dose, in large part because these types of medicines can stay in the system even the next day and that could affect driving. so before you reach for a pill, i say there's some good tips to help you get a good night's sleep. first of all, avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day. turn off your cell phone at night. sometimes easier said than done. make sure your room is dark. as dark as possible. one i use. if you're tossing and turning, simply get out of bed for a while. do something else. a few more hours of beauty rest

can help all of us chase life. that's going to wrap things up for "sgmd." stay connected, keep the conversation going on twitte twitter @drsanjaygupta. back to the cnn newsroom with pamela brown. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com wack in to the cnn "newsroom." i'm pamela brown in for don lemon. and princess diana and her boyfriend at the time dodi fayed. the british press association has a bombshell allegation. cnn's reporter join us us from london. tell us more about what scotland yard is saying about this. >> reporter: scotland yard is not saying a lot. basically that they have new